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Increasing Performance of Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions via Enhanced Energy Coupling

ORAL

Abstract



Recent advances in predictive statistical modeling have led to record fusion yields and increased overall performance, as measured by the normalized no-alpha Lawson parameter cno a extrapolated to 2 MJ of symmetric drive. These increases were driven largely by (a) the introduction of silicon dopant into the ablator, which increases both collisional absorption and cross-beam energy transfer mitigation, and (b) reducing the pulse duration to couple energy more effectively at early times, when the target is relatively unconverged and silicon dopant is present throughout the corona. We will also present the results of dedicated experiments on OMEGA designed to test LILAC’s coupling model late in the pulse, which has shown good agreement with LILAC yields and areal densities. Finally, hydrodynamic scaling of the best-performing implosions to 2 MJ of symmetric drive gives cno a > 0.8, yield amplification > 3, and scaled fusion yield over 700 kJ.

Presenters

  • Varchas Gopalaswamy

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics - Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

Authors

  • Varchas Gopalaswamy

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics - Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Christian Stoeckl

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Riccardo Betti

    University of Rochester, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • James P Knauer

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Aarne Lees

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Dhrumir P Patel

    University of Rochester

  • Connor A Williams

    University of Rochester

  • Rahman Ejaz

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Pericles S Farmakis

    University of Rochester, Lab for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Duc Cao

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, U. Rochester/LLE, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, University of Rochester

  • Cliff A Thomas

    University of Rochester

  • Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback

    University of Rochester

  • Suxing Hu

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, LLE, University of Rochester, Lab. for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester

  • Timothy J Collins

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Valeri N Goncharov

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Vladimir Y Glebov

    Lab for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Zaarah L Mohamed

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, University of Rochester

  • Chad J Forrest

    Lab for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Kristen Churnetski

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Rahul C Shah

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics - Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Steven T Ivancic

    Lab for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Michael J Rosenberg

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester

  • Hans Rinderknecht

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics - Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Sean P Regan

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester

  • Dana H Edgell

    LLE, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Wolfgang R Theobald

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester

  • Mark J Bonino

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, LLE, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Roger T Janezic

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Walter Shmayda

    University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Siddharth Sampat

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, LLE, University of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester

  • Owen M Mannion

    Sandia National Laboratories, University of Rochester

  • Maria Gatu-Johnson

    MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology